Visual design is a set of strategic best practices used to improve a design or product's aesthetic appeal and usability through the selection of appropriate images, typography, use of space, hierarchy, color, and layout. It can be found in apps, movies, advertisements, logos, books, technology, gear, everywhere you look.
Visual design is an important place to start for anyone who wants to be a visual creative, but it won’t get you a job on it’s own. You’ll also need to learn the software that these careers use, which is primarily Adobe’s Photoshop, Illustrator, and XD. You should also brush up on industry best practices and choose a niche you’d like to work in.
Visual design principles are used by a Design Director to set the overall aesthetic of a project. A Designer, Visual Designer, Digital Designer, or Graphic Designer will then execute that design. If it’s a software or application that the designers are working on, a UI Designer or Web Designer will use those design comprehensives created by the other designers to create user interfaces and websites within the criteria.
Visual design is the framework for everything a designer does. They can use it to create projects from scratch or to evaluate and improve an existing one. Knowing visual design principles makes learning design software and embarking on a visual creative career path easier.
Visual Design Career Options
Here are a few career paths for which you’ll likely need Visual Design skills in order to succeed. We also include additional info about their average salaries, their day-to-day responsibilities, and a link to learn more about each career.
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Graphic Designer
Graphic designers work with both digital and physical media to create art that communicates and inspires. Using graphics, text, colors, and animations, graphics designers develop media assets for branding, advertising, and messaging. Graphics designers can work for agencies or themselves. They create a wide variety of design elements, such as brochures, infographics, marketing material layouts, and design elements for print, video, or web use.
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Designer
Designers work in a wide variety of industries and specialize in just as many mediums. Most designers create digital assets, but some designers work with hand-drawn sketches and illustrations. They start with an understanding of the best design principles and functional aesthetics. Common fields for designers include web, apps, print, fashion, animation, advertising, and UX design.
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UI Designer
User interface (UI) designers are responsible for how an application or web page looks and feels. Using colors, fonts, patterns, textures, icons, and buttons, user interface designers work with user experience designers to improve websites. Some user interface designers may also touch on user experience design (UX) issues and use prototyping and user testing to analyze the effectiveness of messaging and ease of use.
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Visual Designer
Visual designers focus on what users see on their screens—banners, menus, graphics, navigation, and more. They use their knowledge of best practices to design digital elements such as page designs, banner ads, icons, and overlays. Working for platforms such as websites, apps, movies, games, and wearables, visual designers strive to provide beautiful user interface. Visual designers often work with software such as Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, Photoshop, and more.
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Digital Designer
Digital Designers make graphics, animations, and other visual effects. Depending on their preference, a Digital Designer might choose to niche down to work exclusively on pre-print, web, or digital marketing. These niches that the Digital Designer is designing websites, applications, advertisements, or publications.
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Design Director
A Design Director leads a team of creative professionals who curate the look and feel of a product or project through the production of visual strategies. They work on projects like magazines, movies, advertisements, video games, or websites. Design Directors can work in industries such as interior design, retail, marketing, architecture, and entertainment.
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Web Designer
Web designers design the appearance and workings of a website. They use their understanding of both visual design and technical design principles to create functional web layouts. Some web designers work from home and enjoy the flexibility of freelance work, while others work for agencies or businesses. Good web designers have the experience and foresight to anticipate the end-user experience and design for ease of use and navigation.
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